Holding and stretching device for trousers and skirts

ABSTRACT

A garment stretching and holding device comprising a pair of laterally adjoining relatively displaceable bars; a spring around the bar yieldably urging them in opposite directions and into an extended position; respective garment engaging forks straddling the bars and shiftable therealong, each of the forks having a respective bight passing over the respective bar and a retaining ring passing around the shanks of the fork immediately beneath the bar and in frictional contact with the underside thereof.

United States Patent 1 Hobi [ 1 Nov. 6, 1973 HOLDING AND STRETCI-IING DEVICE FOR TROUSERS AND SKIRTS [76] Inventor: Ernst Hobi, Alte Landstr. 69, 8942 Oberrieden, Switzerland [22] Filed: Jan. 25, I971 [21] Appl. No.: 109,364

[52] US. Cl. 223/95 [51] Int. Cl. A47j 51/12 [58] Field of Search 223/89, 88, 94, 95, 223/96 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,805,011 9/1957 Ambrosino 223/95 X 3,441,184 4/1969 Stein 223/89 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 350,443 1/1961 Switzerland 223/95 Switzerland 223/95 Switzerland 223/95 Primary ExaminerGe0rge H. Krizmanich Attorney-Karl F. Ross [57] ABSTRACT A garment stretching and holding device comprising a pair of laterally adjoining relatively displaceable bars; a spring around the bar yieldably urging them in opposite directions and into an extended position; respective garment engaging forks straddling the bars and shiftable therealong, each of the forks having a respective bight passing over the respective bar and a retaining ring passing around the shanks of the fork immediately beneath the bar and in frictional contact with the underside thereof.

1 Claim, 8 Drawing Figures mmnnm 61973 3370.171

SHEET 10F 2 ERNST HOBI INVENTOR.

I Attorney PATENTEDnnv 5 I975 3370.171

SHEET 20F 2 ERNST HOBI INVENTOR.

I Attorney HOLDING AND STRETCHING DEVICE FOR TROUSERS AND SKIRTS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Known holding and stretching devices for trousers and skirts are not entirely satisfactory with respect to handling. When the slide bars are pushed together it is not easy to hold them in this position with one hand and with the other to introduce the gripper forks or shanks into the opening in the garment which is to be held stretched. The purpose of the present invention is to make the handling of such holding and stretching devices easier.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention has for its object a holding and stretching device for trousers and skirts which differs from the known devices of this type in that the slide bars which carry the grippers for trousers or skirts, and which can be pushed towards each other in opposition to the action of a spring, are bent upwards and inwards through 180 and at the two facing ends thus created take the form of grips which make it easier to pull the sliding bars together and to hold them in the inner position.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The accompanying drawing shows by way of example two embodiment of the invention.

FIG. I is a view of a trouser holder with the slide bars extended;

FIG. 2 is a view of the trouser holder with the slide bars pulled together;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of part of the device with a gripper fork;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view along the line IV-IV of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a view of a skirt holder with the slide bars extended;

FIG. 6 is a view of the skirt holder with the slide bars pulled together;

FIG. 7 is a part-view of the skirt holder with the slidebar extension pulled out to give a greater span, and

FIG. 8 is a plan view corresponding to FIG. 7.

SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION Referring to the annexed drawing, the holding and stretching device for trousers or skirts shown has two slide bars 1 and 2 consisting of two half-round sections having their flat sides in contact with each other, said bars being able to slide over each other and being encircled in their overlapping parts by a helical spring 3 which acts as a tension spring and is coiled more closely at its ends. The inner ends I and 2' of the bars (FIG. 8) are bent and form the adjoining sliding guides whose outer ends abut against the narrowed coils 3' of helical spring 3 so that when the slide bars 1 and 2 are pressed together the helical spring 3 is loaded, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 6. The lower end of hook 4 which passes through cranks 1' and 2' of slide bars 1 and 2 and through helical spring 3 is secured by a rivet head 4' and is held in the middle position in every position of slide bars 1 and 2 by the helical spring 3. Slide bars 1 and 2 are bent at their outer ends through 180 to form knees 5 and at their two facing ends thus created take the form of hook-like grips 6.

The holding and stretching device for trousers shown in FIG. 1 4 carries longitudinally movable gripper garment-engaging forks 7 straddling the upper bar shanks 1" and 2". The sliding guide of of the gripper forks is formed by channel-shaped bends 8 in the fork yokes 7 connecting the fork shanks 7'. Yokes 7 run over the top of the upper slide shanks 1" and 2" and are clipped to the slide shanks 1" and 2" frictionally by spring rings 9 which lie upon them and press against the upper slide shanks from below. The friction fit is therefore greater at all times than the greatest axial thrust of the loaded helical spring 3. Adaptation of the span of the trouser holder to the width of the trouser bottoms is possible by displacing the gripper forks 7 along the upper bar shanks 1" and 2". To introduce the holding and stretching device into the opening of the trouser legs, grips 6 are taken in two fingers of one hand and pressed together so that slide bars 1 and 2 are pushed together as shown in FIG. 2.

The folding and stretching device for skirts shown in FIGS. 5 8 comprises slide bars 1 and 2 which at their outer ends near knee 5 are bent into the vertical plane E (FIG. 8) of the device and carry helical springs 11 more closely coiled at both ends on the cranked part 10 between knee 5 and crank 10''. The helical springs 11 serve to connect one of the slidebar extensions 12 with its gripper shank 13 in each case to the bent part 10 of the slide bar by frictional force. The slide-bar extensions 12 can be displaced inwards and outwards counter the frictional resistance set up by springs 11, according to whether the span of the device is to be diminished or increased. As apparent from FIG. 6, the skirt holder is handled in the same way as the trouser holders. The yoke of each gripper fork has a channelshaped crank serving as a sliding guide which runs over the top of the corresponding upper bar shank and is held in position on this shank by friction, but so as to be slidable therealong by a spring ring which lies over the fork yoke and passes below the bar shank so that the gripper forks can be adjusted to any desired distance apart by displacing them along the bar shanks.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:

1. A garment stretching and holding device, comprismg:

a pair of laterally adjoining relatively displaceable bars; a spring around said bars yieldably urging them in opposite directions and into an extended position;

respective garment-engaging forks straddling said bars at the outer ends thereof and shiftable therealong, each of said forks having a respective bight passing over the respective bar and a retaining ring passing around the shanks of the fork immediately beneath said bar and in frictional contact with the underside thereof,

said relatively displaceable bars being bent in a U- configuration with first and second generally parallel shanks, the first shanks of said bars lying adjacent one another and being surrounded by said spring, the second shanks of said bars each overlying the first shanks of the respective bar and engaging the bight of the respective garment-engaging fork, the legs of the forks straddling the first shanks of the respective bar; and holder engaging the first shanks of said bars and said spring, the second shanks of said bars each having free ends proximal to said holder and formed into hooks curving away therefrom. 

1. A garment stretching and holding device, comprising: a pair of laterally adjoining relatively displaceable bars; a spring around said bars yieldably urging them in opposite directions and into an extended position; respective garment-engaging forks straddling said bars at the outer ends thereof and shiftable therealong, each of said forks having a respective bight passing over the respective bar and a retaining ring passing around the shanks of the fork immediately beneath said bar and in frictional contact with the underside thereof, said relatively displaceable bars being bent in a Uconfiguration with first and second generally parallel shanks, the first shanks of said bars lying adjacent one another and being surrounded by said spring, the second shanks of said bars each overlying the first shanks of the respective bar and engaging the bight of the respective garment-engaging fork, the legs of the forks straddling the first shanks of the respective bar; and a holder engaging the first shanks of said bars and said spring, the second shanks of said bars each having free ends proximal to said holder and formed into hooks curving away therefrom. 